Heaven's Collaboration

So, I think we've all seen The Lion King, whether it was in 1994, when it first came out, or in 2011 when it came out in 3D, or somewhere in between. There have been numerous reports and reviews on the film itself, so I won't say anything more on that. What I'm here to talk about is the score - yes, the wonderful collaboration of Hans Zimmer, Elton John and Tim Rice, three amazing musicians who got together and produced what is probably one of the most famous scores in the history of Disney.

So who are these composers? Well, I think we all know the genius who is Elton John. He's always been well known and his songs are amazing.  But I'm sure many other '90s kids will agree that Elton John became a musical figure for them, when he wrote the songs for The Lion King. It is true that Elton John receives most of, if not all of the credit for the soundtrack to the film, but what did he really do? Well, Elton John's work includes such songs as the wonderful "Circle of Life", "I Just Can't Wait to be King", "Be Prepared", "Hakuna Matata", and the very moving "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" - songs which are the first to spring to mind when one thinks of the soundtrack to The Lion King. I need not say much more about Elton John, as his worldwide reputation is colossal. So let's move on to Tim Rice, shall we?

Pic: s-tlk.org

Tim Rice, an English lyricist and author who wrote lyrics for numerous film and theatre music, including other Disney classics, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. The Lion King was not his only collaboration with Elton John and Hans Zimmer. The trio also collaborated on the score for The Road to El Dorado in 2004. So what did he do for The Lion King? Well, where Elton John wrote the music and the melodies for the songs I mentioned above, Tim Rice was the one to write the lyrics for all of those songs. So next time you're singing Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", or "Circle of Life", remember the there were two people in the creation of that song - both of them equally brilliant.

This brings me to my main point - the man of the moment - the genius himself - the one - the only - Hans Zimmer! The German-born composer had his first taste of success when he was a member of a band known as The Buggles. Their very well-known single 'Video Killed the Radio Star' became a world wide hit, and is still much loved today. Not only was it successful all over the world, but it was, in fact, the first music video ever to be aired on MTV, on their first day, August 1st, 1981. This was only the beginning of a new era of entertainment - MTV is still watched by young people all over the world, though there have been a number of changes since August 1st 1981 - all that terrible reality TV for one!

Interesting as this all sounds, I began talking about Hans Zimmer's amazing musical talent, and I intent to continue. Just a bit of background information: Zimmer scored for a number of popular films including The Last Samurai (2003) which was his 100th score, believe it or not; The Prince of Egypt (1998); all four of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (2003, 2006, 2007 and 2011); Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008); Inception (2010); Megamind (2010); the amazing film that is Gladiator (2000); and even The Muppets Treasure Island (1996) which is one that will bring all of us 90's kids back to our childhood, I'm sure! There are too many others to mention, but if you really want a lengthy list of his work, check it out here.

Zimmer is completely self-taught, learning everything through collaboration with other composers, including the likes of that genius of a man, Andrew Lloyd Webber, the incredible Klaus Badelt, and various others. However, in his collaboration with Elton and Tim, he created a wonderful score for an equally wonderful film. In The Lion King, Zimmer's work is entirely his own - unlike Elton John's work, for which half of the credit goes to Tim Rice. Zimmer didn't compose the songs that are sung by the characters, but the music in the background that is barely noticeable.

Zimmer accepting his 1994 Oscar for The Lion King.
For more information, click here

A good film composer writes a score that can barely be noticed - it doesn't draw attention away from the film, but enhances the drama and the emotion. For example, when Mufasa dies, the music in the background heightens the viewer's despair, yet if I asked you to sing the melody to me right now, you would most likely need to watch the scene back to remember it (unless, of course, you're one of those fanatics who can say every line of the film, and sing every melody).

Zimmer's work in The Lion King includes the following songs:

• Life isn't fair, is it?
• The Once and Future King (one of my personal favourites, this is where we hear that motive I've named the 'King motif').
• Plotting
• The Elephant Graveyard
• Kings of the Past (this is at the part where Mufasa explains to Simba that the stars are the kings of old - a very gentle and touching way of saying "I'll die some day, but I'll always be with you." Again, we can hear a variation of my 'King motif').
• Life isn't Fair, is it?
• Stampede (I think we all remember this scene, even those of us who haven't seen the film in years).
• ...To Die For.
• What Have You Done?/Run Away (one of the most heart breaking moments in the film, without a doubt. It was here that we said goodbye to Mufasa, and it was here that I shed four tears! No, that's not a lot, but I don't cry at movies, so its a big deal for me!).
• A New Era/Bowling for Buzzards (the very comical moment where Pumba and Timone arrive!)
• On Our Side/Simba Awakens
• Under the Stars/Simba Alive (not only does that beautiful. melancholy 'King motif' return, but near the end of this track is the moment where that delightful baboon, Rafiki realises that Simba is alive!)
• Hunting/Pinned Again/Reunion
• An Argument/You're Mufasa's Boy/ Remember (one of my favourite moments in the film is at the end of this track - when Mufasa appears in the sky and reminds Simba who he is - again we hear that gorgeous 'King motif' - probably my favourite motive in the history of motives at this moment in time!).
• This is My Home (quite a joyful moment when the king returns home, but, of course it gets sad when he returns to see what his home has become).
• The Return/Battle of Pride Rock/Cleansing Rain/The Ascension/End Credits (the name says it all, really).

Pic: hanszimmer.com

Writing for animals is completely different to writing music for people. People can easily show emotion in their facial expressions. The characters in The Lion King are all animals, and do not show emotion as easily as humans, but Zimmer seems to get over this quite easily. "I'd never written for talking fuzzy animals before," he says, "I knew how to write to human emotions but these were animals. It took me a while to get over that and do what you do which is just treat them like human characters." (quote taken from here)

Zimmer also had a personal bond with Simba. When writing for Mufasa's death he relates to the emotion that a young child would feel. "I thought how do we deal with, in a children's movie, the idea that a father dies, and make an emotional, yet not horrifying experience. And it's very simple. It's my point of view because my dad dropped dead when I was six. I had nobody to talk to about it." (Ibid). It kind of makes him a mirror image, or a human version of Simba. Simba lives on, unable to speak to his new friends about his father's death. Zimmer, lived on, unable to talk to anyone about his own father's death.

The collaboration of Hans Zimmer, Elton John and Tim Rice resulted in a number of awards - and no wonder! The awards include Academy Awards: "Best Original Score" to Hans Zimmer, and "Best Original Song" to Elton John and Time Rice, for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight". The same two received Golden Globe Awards - and well deserved they were too!

I feel Hans Zimmer doesn't get as much credit for the score as Elton John, but just listen to it, and you'll see the difference this legendary composer made to the film. His work is phenomenal. Don't get me wrong, Elton John and Tim Rice did some fantastic work too! This truly was a musical collaboration made in Heaven.

One of the most inspirational quotes of the film:

(Rafiki hits Simba across the head)

Simba: What was that for?

Rafiki: It doesn't matter, it's in the past!

Simba: Yeah, but it still hurts.

Rafiki: Yes, the past can hurt, but the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it. (He swings his stick again and Simba ducks). Ah! You see?"

21 Oct 2011

by Jessica Thompson

Is Ireland Losing its Mind?

Recent statistics show that Emigration has gone up by 17 per cent since last April. Our young minds are leaving Ireland, and it doesn't look like this trend will stop any time soon. The recession is in full bloom and nothing can kill it.

A recent poll in NUI Galway shows the general feeling towards emigration among students, with 58per cent of students who took part in the poll showing disappointment in the state of Ireland.

Shannon Holton, 19, feels the government are to blame. When asked if she thought Ireland had a future for young people, he replied; "No. The government won't do enough." Her friend, Lucia Egore, 19, has a similar view and added that "there's not enough employment."

Where have all the wise men gone and where are all the gods?
Picture taken from campus.ie

Yes, the government seems to be shouldering all the blame, but not everyone has lost faith in them. 20-year-old Martin Tully has plans to emigrate so that he can broaden his horizons, and see a bit more of the world. Despite his plans to leave, he has hope that some day the government will pull us out of this mess: "Yeah I think Ireland has a future with the current government compared to the last one. It's heading in the right direction."

Martin wasn't the only one who was staying positive. 21-year-old Aine Coughlan insists that Ireland has as much of a future for young people as the rest of the world: "America is in the same situation - everyone is." Eva Foley, 22, also remains optimistic: "Things look bleak at the moment but we're doing the best out of all the Eurozone countries, so hopefully we'll pull out of it." James O' Malley, 20, also does his best to stay hopeful, stating that Ireland can improve "provided we can create jobs indigenously."

Many students are making the best of a bad situation. To them, emigration is not a bad thing - its an opportunity to see some of the world. Sinead Higgins, 18, says she's "bored of Ireland" and Aine Brady, 19, would emigrate purely for a "change of scenery".

Optimistic Eva Foley, 22, when asked if she would emigrate, said: "Yes, I would because there's not a lot of jobs in my field and I'd like to see a bit of the world. I've travelled before and I'd travel again."

However, with every optimistic student in this poll, there were at lest three pessimists. Many students feel that Ireland doesn't have a hope, and that emigration is the only way to make a life for themselves: "Everyone's emigrating," says Ashling Hogan, 18, "there's no jobs and no reason to stay."

Pic: Ryanair

John Dempsey, 21, did not hesitate in answering when asked whether he would emigrate: "Absolutely 100 per cent! Because I feel there's nothing in this country and I'd like to see some of the world. It seems to be the norm to emigrate." Many of John's friends have emigrated, so he feels he should get in on the trend. "I'd say a good 50 per cent of my friends have emigrated. Skype seems to be the new place to chat face to face." John, like so many of his peers, feels that there's nothing left in Ireland: "Not at the moment. Our generation hasn't a hope."

Karen Walker, 21, made a statement that was common around campus: "I don't want to emigrate, but I will if I have to." This shows that many Ireland's young people don't want to leave her, but feel they have not choice: "Right now I think it just seems like there's not going to be any change. I don't think there's much future, except in the dole queue."

Is the dole queue the only solution for those of us who really don't want to emigrate? Jason Hoare, 21, feels that it depends on what you're studying. As a Zoology student, he thinks he, himself, will emigrate: "There's no jobs in the course I'm studying. I think it depends on what [students are] doing in college."

Finally, Tara Keena, 19, feels that she has to emigrate; "there's no jobs here". She doesn't know many who have emigrated, but her brother is gone, and she feels that Ireland has nothing more to offer her. When asked if she thought Ireland had a future, she replied with a very simple statement; "Yes, hopefully... In about 50 years!"

So it appears Ireland is losing its mind. The young people are leaving in droves, and the ones who are left behind feel they will have no choice but to leave once they finish college. It doesn't bode well for the future generation, but we must remain optimistic. Things can only get better... right?

20  Oct 2011

by Jessica Thompson

Unemployment Rates Decrease in September 2011

The standardised unemployment rate has dropped from 14.4 per cent in August. Although this is a small change, it is bound to be welcomed by the state. The overall percentage drop was a mere 0.1 per cent in September 2010, bringing the rate down to 14.3 percent, although this is still an increase from the 14.0% in September 2010.

Statistics show a seasonally adjusted number of 442,200 people signing on the Live Register in September 2011, with approximately 150,000 of them being female, and the majority being male.

Pic: wordpress.com

There were monthly decreases of 3,000 males and 2,400 females on the Live Register on a seasonally adjusted basis, in September 2011. The number of female claimants, in the year to September 2011, increased to 155,453 over the course of the year, and the number of male claimants increased to 281,988. These figures compare with the increase of 10,768 females and 11,795 males in September 2010.

There was a continuous increase of long-term claimants on the Live Register, with 41.9% of claimants in September 2011 on the Live Register for a period of one year or longer. Last year, in September 2010, this number was 33.4%.

The above figures apply to Ireland in general. The figures for the Midlands, including Longford, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath are 33,124, an increase of 73 people from the number in September 2010, and a decrease from August 2011, of 2,163. The number of males on the Live Register in September came down from 21,731 in September 2010, to 22,230 in August 2011. But this number has increased to 21,350 in September 2011. The number of people under 25 who have signed on is 6,507, and the number of people over 25 is 26,617.

It is important to remember that the Live Register does not measure unemployment, but includes those who are part-time workers (working up to three days a week), seasonal and casual workers receiving Jobseeker’s Benefit or Allowance. The unemployment rate is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey. As of the second quarter of 2011, the number of unemployed individuals was 304,500.

12 Oct 2011

by Jessica Thompson